Sunday, August 14, 2016

If Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Harrison Ford really want to make the new Indiana Jones flick memorable as well as a sucess (coming to theaters July 2019), they are going to have to think out of the box. While I enjoyed the last entry in the series, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), there were those critics and fans who panned it.

In that film Dr. Jones got an ET experience, so the Jones canon that includes supernatural lost relics such as the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail now also recognizes beings from outer space. Though human, Ford’s character Han Solo would be an alien, and therein is the fun and excitement of their close encounter of the indelible kind.

Few actors can lay claim to playing one legendary character in a film series. We have guys who have played Batman, Superman, and Spider Man in multiple films, but they pale in comparison to Ford who has played Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Dr. Jones in the Indiana Jones films. With two iconic figures like this under his belt, Ford would be able to crown his career with a film that brings the two together, perhaps even getting an Oscar for playing both in one film.

My idea is simple and yet intriguing – Han Solo and Dr. Jones will meet on earth sometime in the 1960s. While you may be shaking your head, believe me I have a plausible and credible way for this to happen. What follows is my basic outline of how the film should unfold. Oh, and if anyone should question reviving old Han, just look at how Darth Maul was brought back from a certain demise in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.

During the years after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) is on what is supposed to be another smuggling run with Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), who is also secretly working for General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) on a reconnaissance mission. As the Millenium Falcon passes through the area that was the site of the destroyed Starkiller Base, remnants of the planet still float in the darkness. Much to Lando’s surprise he detects a lifeform floating in space encased in ice. A closer inspection with a droid craft reveals that Han Solo is inside.

After bringing the object aboard, Chewbacca sees a strange light anomaly and feels forces tugging on the ship, with a powerful energy field surrounding the Millenium Falcon. Chewie tries to escape into hyperspace but is caught in a mysterious whirlpool that transports them through a series of energy fields and storms until the ship gets jettisoned into a completely different galaxy.

While this is happening, Lando struggles to keep standing and scans the thawing ice and discovers that Han is still alive, but just barely. Well remembering Han’s experience with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Lando prepares a medical droid to attempt to save Han’s life.

After successfully reviving and treating Han, Lando joins Chewie in the cockpit and realizes the ship is badly damaged. They frantically search for a life-supporting planet where they can land and repair the ship. As the ship seems ready to falter Chewie finds a planet and Lando guides the ship to crash on a mountainside near a deep gorge (somewhere in Southern Colorado).

As Chewie and Lando take time to affect repairs, Han slowly recovers and is able to walk with the aid of a cane. He reconnects with his old friends and then stares out the window at the beautiful mountains on this new planet.

Meanwhile Dr. Indiana Jones, who was on a dig with his wife Marion (Karen Allen) to unearth Native American artifacts connected to the Lost City of Gold not far from the crash site, sees the ship come down from the sky. Jones reminds her of what happened with the Crystal Skull and they go to explore the wreckage.

As is usually the case, Dr. Jones is being followed – this time by Soviet operatives who believe that he was close to finding the vast treasure. They have also witnessed the crash and are now calling in another team to assist; however, they are not the only ones heading to the location – the CIA is sending its own team in to get to the wreckage of the alien craft.

By the time Dr. Jones reaches the ship, he is surrounded by the Soviets. As their leader prepares to execute Jones and Marion, Han Solo and Chewie appear and blast away the bad guys.

Dr. Jones and Han shake hands and Jones thanks him, but only Marion and Chewie seem to recognize their resemblance to one another. Indy warns Han that the Soviets won’t be the only ones coming to get them.

Han brings Indy and Marion aboard and Lando does a double take when he sees Indy. Han warns Indy and Marion that it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Soon American aircraft starts buzzing the site and troops can be seen coming in their direction. Indy asks Han not to harm these people if possible, saying, “They’re the good guys.”

Han gets the ship started with Chewie’s help and they “punch it” with the Millenium Falcon taking off shakily with the fighter jets coming after it. Once they get up over the ocean, Han moves the ship into hyperspace and they are free and clear.

Not knowing any of the star systems they can detect, Han and Lando conclude that somehow they were transported to another galaxy. Marion wants to go home, and Indy asks Han if they could get back to earth, but then Chewie spots the same anomaly that had surrounded the ship near Starkiller Base.

They get sucked into it and are eventually thrust back into their own galaxy and time. Indy and Marion realize that they are never going home again, but Han consoles them and says he is going to bring them to his home world.

On the way a fleet of ships from the First Order appears and starts chasing them. On board the main ship Kylo Ren feels the presence of Han Solo and says, “But it can’t be…”

The ensuing battle causes damage to the Falcon, and Han is severely wounded. Lando shows Indy how to operate the gunner’s station, and together they take out enough ships to make a getaway. Unfortunately, Han, already in a weakened state, succumbs to his wounds and dies. Chewie is inconsolable, and Lando mourns his old friend.

Once they return with Han’s body, Leia and the rest prepare for a funeral. Luke (Mark Hamill) tells Rey (Daisy Ridley) that he felt Han die again in The Force. Rey and Luke go to assist Leia.

Later over dinner Luke and Leia come to meet their guests. Lando introduces Indy and Marion to them, and Leia tilts her head slightly, noting Indy’s resemblance to Han. Luke puts his hand on Indy’s shoulder, staring at him deeply. He then turns to Leia saying, “The Force is strong with him.”

With a rousing blast of Star Wars and Indiana Jones musical scores intermingling, the words THE END flash across a field of stars.

Now that is just a rough draft, but I believe that it is the strongest way to bring Indiana Jones back to the screen while making it a must see cinematic event. Imagine Rocky meeting Rambo or the The Man with No Name meeting Dirty Harry? No, this would be even bigger and way better than that, and it could be the greatest achievement of Speilberg and Ford’s careers. Hey, they can even bring me in to help George Lucas write the script. I’ve got lots of ideas.

This may be wishful thinking, but I don’t think anyone is going to come up with a better Indiana Jones story line than this.

About Me

Victor Lana is a native New Yorker who has published numerous stories in literary magazines and online, including such places as HAWAII REVIEW, NEW WORKS REVIEW, IN POSSE REVIEW, THE MOONWORT REVIEW, and READER'S BREAK. His novels A DEATH IN PRAGUE (2002) and MOVE (2003) are available at Barnes and Noble, Borders.com, Amazon.com, and other places. He is sending out proposals for his new book, THE SAVAGE QUIET SEPTEMBER SUN (a collection of 9/11 stories), at this time.